shatto dairy

We took the tour, along with the WONDERFUL samples. Flavors you don't think would be good in milk, but taste heavenly! We tried several kinds of milk, cheese, garlic butter and three kinds of ice cream. Delicious! This family owned dairy farm is doing everything right. No wonder it's such a hit in KC. Milk takes one day from the cow to your grocer. That's fresh!

We have been buying Shatto milk in our local grocery store for over a year now and finally made it to the Dairy for a tour with friends. Our tour started and ended in the Country Store....with samples of all their flavored milks, cheeses and butters. The tour takes you through the whole process, from milking the cows to bottling the milk. Great learning experience for kids and adults, you can even milk a cow. Family owned and operated with a wonderful staff to help out, everyone was friendly and entertaining. Our favorites are the Root Beer, Chocolate, Coffee and Cookies &Cream flavored milk. You can buy all of their milk, cheeses, butters and ice cream in the Country Store, along with t-shirts, hoodies, cups, mugs, jams, sauces and cute stuff animals.

I was in Independence, Missouri visiting family for the first time and came across the milk from this dairy at the grocery store I went too. My cousin told me I should try it so I did and loved it. We took a trip the next day to go visit the dairy and it was worth it. Beautiful place, friendly people (and a very friendly dog that likes to play), delicious products!Unfortunately since I live in Texas I can't get their milk here, but any time I make a trip back up there i will definitely go visit the farm! Loved it!

TIP: Reserve your spot for the tour on line ($5/ticket). Arrive 15 minutes prior to the start. Tour starts in the Country Store. Ample parking. It's nice to be able to go "to the source" and see how a product is made, packaged and distributed. As part of my daughter's Girl Scout journey, we drove the 1 hour and 20 minutes one way from Kansas City to Shatto Dairy. I put in the addresss that is listed on their website and my GPS took me right there. The only difference is that the main operation of the dairy is on the right side of Missouri 33 North not the left. You need to call ahead and reserve your spot for the farm tour which on this Saturday started at 10:30am. They like you to be there 15 minutes early and I can see why. There were lots of people there the day we toured so that 15 minutes allows enough time to collect the $5 fee before starting. We were divided into 4 large groups. Two of the groups looked like a church group, the other cub scouts. Our group started inside the Country Store with milk sampling. Barb Shatto introduced the flavors and went down the line giving you a sample in a dixie cup. Make sure you drink it as a new flavor is soon on its way. We sampled banana, strawberry, root beer (an international winner), a new flavor: cookies and cream, cotton candy, coffee and chocolate. Two new flavors are in the works....but what they are, is a secret! We went from there to the bottling area then had the chance to milk a cow and see three new calves followed by watching an actual milking. Even though you are there, the operation of the dairy continues. After going to these different stations, you go back to the Country Store to sample different butters and a herb dip with crackers. They do make ice cream, but we couldn't sample that. There is ample time to ask questions. The tour ended just before noon.

We live about 20 minutes or so away from the Dairy and yes a local store carries the milk, but sometimes it's nice to go to the farm and get the milk. There are tours you can do as a family. Kids either love it or are intimidated by the big cows when you get to see how the cows are milked, lol.....Our favorite flavors are rootbeer, and banana. Then after that we go by the colors, the orange is a hit, and so is the blue....cotton candy I think.....in any case, you can pack a picnic and sit out under the shelter. Depending on the time of year you may be overwhelmed by the natural odors of what the cows leave on the ground, so just be prepared. The bottles themselves do have a deposit for them and once you pay for it initially you continue to just recycle that deposit with future purchases. They have the BEST EVER cheese curds too and there are usually samples of those out for tasting as well as the tasting of the different flavors of milk. Schools and troops around take field trips to Shatto Dairy, and it is always a huge hit! And it is sure to be a hit with you too!

We stopped here in December for their farm tour & were able to sample all their flavored milk. Very delicious! We purchased one of each flavor of their milk in the cute glass bottles with different words on them.We live out of state but loved their milk so much we made a special trip to the country store at their farm when we were near Kansas City this month & purchased 13 more bottle of their wonderful milk!We plan to adjust the routes of our future trips so we can stop by in the future and bring home more of their amazing farm fresh milk! And to return some of the glass bottles from our current milk purchase. They charge a $2 per bottle refundable charge for the glass bottle so we plan to return these bottle but not the ones we got in December - they are worth collecting as they are so darn cute! (see photo)If you visit their website, they have a list of all the stores in the Kansas City area that carry their milk - if you don't have time to drive to their farm which is in Osborn - north of Kansas City.We knew we'd want to bring some home so we planned ahead and brought a large cooler with us & stopped at a nearby gas station for bags of ice. The milk was still ice cold when we arrived home. They do sell coolers there but they're pricey so if you forget to bring one, you can purchase one.They also make & sell ice cream and cheese too. The milk is my favorite though! So far we've enjoyed whole milk, 2%, fat free, chocolate, strawberry, rootbeer, eggnog, pumpkin spice eggnog, cookies & cream, cotton candy, coffee, and banana milk!Even though we didn't have the time this trip to re-take the tour, it is very much worth your time. I will note that this is a dairy farm with cows literally right next to the buildings so it will smell like cows. Cows and their poo tend to stink so be prepared. We found the odor to be far less in December than in May - maybe since the ground was frozen in December? However, inside the cute country store it does not smell & is very clean. They also have an ice cream parlor there. Plus they sell cute souvenirs.....dishes, magnets, t shirts, etc. The bathroom are super cute too! It is free to go to the Country Store, the tours are $5 per person. We also noticed a sign on their door stating that starting in June 2014, they will be closed on Sundays.

A must see experience for locals and visitors whether you have children or not. There is a milk "tasting" room and a gift shop. For those who buy milk sold in a glass bottle, this is the place! You can also buy a milk caddy to transport your milk from the store to home. (I bought mine from the gift shop but it can be purchased online). I always feel relaxed and rejuvenated when I leave the farm. Our favorite milk and strawberry and chocolate. The ice cream sandwiches are fabulous. The Shatto company has tours of their facility and their cows! It's a great experience for anyone.

I have never experienced a more friendly company who really puts value on the overall satisfaction of their customers. The dairy is very kid friendly and I also attended their customer appreciation day. A must see in Missouri

Everyone is really friendly and usually let the kids pet the cows and sometimes help milk them.There is always a calf just a few days old. The tours are interesting and everyone ends up having a great time!

We stopped by the dairy and wandered into the small retail store. First there was sampling of milk and butter products, then we opted for ice cream treats - yum, We intended to browse around the store, but an enthusiastic staff member offered to take us and two other shoppers on an impromptu tour. The dairy offers tours for a small fee for larger groups at pre-determined times, but we weren't expecting to tour the operation since we hadn't made arrangements.What a treat; the young man (whose name we can't recall) took us around and showed us all the parts of the plant from milking the cows, to equipment that produces the various products, to shipping and delivery facilities. He was proud of this small independent dairy that produces homone and antibiotic free milk products, and his enthusiasm was contagious.